Billy Childish

The British artist Billy Childish is known for his introspective, biographical and emotional paintings. After leaving school at age 16, Childish worked at the Naval Dockyard in Chatham as an apprentice stonemason. Eventually, he entered London’s Saint Martin's School of Art. Childish's defiance of authority led to his eventual expulsion from art school in 1981. Since then, Childish has gained a following worldwide, writing poetry, making music and painting several hundred works. Through all of these disciplines, Childish addresses social, political, and personal issues such as war, protest, his turbulent childhood, and his struggles with addiction. His paintings are subtle, not giving obvious clues into his personal life, but using experimental means such as different painting techniques and styles to convey his story. Childish works quickly, leaving marks on raw canvas that leave much of it visible. He identifies with artists who worked outside a group or movement, such as Vincent van Gogh, Kurt Schwitters, and Edvard Munch. Labeling himself a “radical traditionalist,” Childish has a reverence for traditional oil painting yet has resolutely resisted any connection with a particular group or artistic movement.